ALL Inc.

It’s a domestic diva’s dream. More than 25,000 square feet of fantasy kitchens. Ten live kitchens – including Kitchen Aid, Miele and GE Monogram – and more than 40 full kitchen set-ups. Enormous displays of Bosch, Thermador, Gaggenau and Viking. A comprehensive lineup of Energy Star appliances. An exclusive JennAir Oiled Bronze kitchen. And the largest display of appliances and cabinetry in Minnesota.

The St. Paul showroom belongs to ALL Inc., the largest residential appliance distributor in the Midwest. People drive more than 200 miles just to see it. “It’s a destination,” CEO Mark Rutzick says. “It’s the Mall of America of cabinets and appliances.”

ALL holds all kinds of events at the showroom – from wine tastings to cooking demonstrations – so customers can see the kitchens in action and get a taste of what it’s like to entertain in them.

Kitchen Evolution

Kitchens have grown in importance over the years. But one thing has always been the same: No matter what kind of gathering – from big parties to immediate family – everyone gravitates to the kitchen. In terms of dollars invested, kitchen can be the most valuable part of the house.

“We recently had a $100,000 order just for appliances,” Rutzick says. “That’s high, but cabinets and appliances can easily average $60,000.” ALL offers the free service of in-house designers to customers who buy whole kitchens.

During the real estate boom, kitchens reached a whole new level of high-end – stainless steel appliances became standard. That trend hasn’t changed – Rutzick reports that stainless steel accounts for more than 95 percent of all purchases. But when the real estate market crashed, ALL’s business slowed considerably.

“We closed three of our four locations,” he says. “We had to figure out how to survive through the downturn.”

ALL had purchased the St. Paul warehouse in 1994 and turned it into a 5,000-square-foot showroom. After closing the other locations, the company reinvested in the showroom and enlarged it.

The difficult consolidation turned out to be a blessing in disguise – last year was ALL’s best with $42 million in revenue.

“We know the industry is cyclical, but there was a lot of pent-up demand from the downturn,” Rutzick says. “Single-family homebuilders, in particular, are coming back strong.”

Founded in 1947, ALL distributes nationally, but it does most of its business close to home in Minnesota, western Wisconsin and southern Iowa. The Twin Cities is its main market, but the company also does healthy sales with customers from Chicago and St. Louis.

“To duplicate what we have here with satellite showrooms doesn’t make sense for us,” Rutzick says. “We’re concentrating on organic growth.”

The latest showroom addition is a Sub Zero/Wolf living kitchen. “All of Sub Zero/Wolf’s appliances are in one place, like a showroom within a showroom,” Rutzick says.

The living kitchens range from 1,800 to 2,200 square feet and cost from $600,000 to $1 million to build. “It isn’t completely unique, but it’s pretty usual to see something like this,” he explains. “It’s gorgeous, and we’re very proud to have it.” )